The University of Manchester has maintained its place among the world’s leading universities, retaining its position in the UK’s top six and as one of Europe’s highest-ranked institutions in the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
The 2026 ARWU ranking places Manchester 51 in the world, 14 in Europe and sixth in the UK. It reflects the University’s continued strength as a research-intensive institution rooted in Manchester and connected across the world.
The results also show improvements in two of the ranking’s most prestigious indicators: Highly Cited Researchers and publications in Nature and Science. These measures point to the reach and influence of research carried out at Manchester.
The ranking is published annually by ShanghaiRanking and is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential assessments of university research performance.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “These results are welcome recognition for Manchester, however we must continue to improve in an increasingly competitive international higher education landscape.
“I am grateful for the hard work our colleagues contribute every day to advance knowledge, transform lives and deliver impact beyond the University.
“As we implement From Manchester for the world, our strategy to 2035, we will continue to focus on excellence and doing work that makes a difference to the communities we serve.”
The University of Manchester’s 2035 strategy is a long-term commitment to transforming our teaching, research, social responsibility, and partnership for the public good.
The ARWU result adds to Manchester’s strong performance across other major 2026 rankings, including 40 in the QS World University Rankings 2027, 56 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 and 1st globally in the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026. The University is also ranked fifth in the UK for employability in the 2026 Times Higher Education Global University Employability Ranking, and remains the most targeted university by the UK’s top 100 graduate recruiters.
